Chapter One Hundred Twenty Six - Allies and Adversaries

Shaken out of his daze, Alessandro nodded firmly. "You're right, cara. I'm here. We do this together." The next hour was a blur of pushing, screaming, and more than a few threats to never let Alessandro touch her again. But finally, with one last monumental effort, their baby entered the world with a loud, indignant wail. "It's a boy!" the doctor announced, holding up the squirming, red-faced infant. For a moment, the world stood still. Amelia and Alessandro stared in awe at the tiny life they had created. All the pain, all the fear, all the chaos of the past nine months faded away in an instant. "He's perfect," Alessandro whispered, tears streaming down his face. As the nurses cleaned and measured the baby, Amelia collapsed back onto the bed, exhausted but elated. "We did it," she murmured, squeezing Alessandro's hand. "He's here." When the nurse finally placed the swaddled bundle in Amelia's arms, it was as if the whole universe narrowed down to just the three of them. Leo Enzo